Embalming-catheter.



PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

H. M. GRIPPEN. EMBALMING GATHETER.

A TTORNE YS APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1905.

W/ TNE SSES.'

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llhFFlOE HENRY MABBITT ORIPPEN, OF BALLSTON SPA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOTHE MAX HUNOKE CHEMICAL UO., OF BROOKLYN, NEl/V YORK.

ENlBALWIlNG-CATHETIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed November 4, 1905. Serial Na 285,859.

To al?, whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, HENRY iWIABBiTT CR1P- PEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Ballston Spa, in the county of Saratoga andState of New York, have invented a new and Improved Emb aiming-Catheter,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to catheters; and it consists, substantially, inthe details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter moreparticularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention has reference more especially to catheters for emb almingpurposes and of the type for which Letters Patent No. 707,775 weregranted to William W. Harris on the 26th day of August, 1902, wherein isshown and described a metal tube of special construction at one end forthe attachment thereto of a flexible tube and provided at its other endwith a exible or coil-spring member, said tube and fiexible orcoil-spring member having a wire extending therethrough for the purposeof temporarily stiffening the member during the time of insertion orintroduction of the catheter within a vein or artery of the human bodyto be embalmed. The structure referred to has many advantages, but alsohas the disadvantage that in the use thereof the hands of the operatorfrequently become covered with blood and other matter from the arteries,due to the necessity of handling the flexible or coilspring member ofthe structure to guide the same both onits introduction and withdrawalfrom the body.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to overcome theabove* mentioned disadvantage, as well as others, and to provide acatheter of the type referred to which is simple in construction andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture, besides being effective andreliable for its purposes and possessing the capacity for long andrepeated service.

The above and additional objects are attained by means substantiallysuch as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis an elevational view of my im proved catheter, and Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view thereof on the line 2 2 in Fig. l.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description it may be stated thatin the form of my improvements herein shown I employ a cathetercomprising a tube and a flexible or coil-spring member, combined withwhich is a special slidable member, performing not only the function ofa stiffener for `the said flexible or coil-spring member, but also thatof a shield for preventing the hands of the operatorI from becomingsoiled in the use of the catheter, as will presently be explained. Saidslidable member is provided with special means by which the same is heldor maintained in any position to which it may be adjusted on thecatheter, said means also constituting a grip to be taken hold of by thehand to operate the slidable member, and also a packing for preventingleakage of blood and other matter between the slidable member and tubeof the catheter.

Reference being had to the drawings by the designating charactersthereon, 1 represents my improved catheter in entirety, the samecomprising a tube 2, having at what for convenience may be termed theinnerH end thereof an enlargement 3 for the attachinent thereto of asuitable` rubber or other fiexible tube in a manner well understood. Atthe outer end thereof the tube 2 has applied thereto in any suitable waythe inner end of a flexible or coil-spring member 3, the coils of whichmay be of an external diameter somewhat less than that of the tube, or,in any event, they should preferably not be of greater external diameterthan that of the tube, the outer end of said member being provided witha perforated nipple i for facilitating the insertion of the memberwithin an artery or vein of the human. body for embalming purposes.

Fitted upon the tube 2 and being slidable thereon is a shield 5, theContact between the two preferably being as close as possible whilestill permitting the shield to be moved along the tube, said shieldhaving at what for convenience may be termed its inner end a grip 6,formed of a short sleeve of india-rubber or other elastic material, partof which Iits closely upon the inner end portion of the shield and theremaining part of which closely fits upon the tube 2, and it is apparentthat by taking hold of said grip at the IOO part thereof which surroundsthe said inner Y end portion of the shield and exerting a suficientamount of force said shield may be moved in either direction upon thetube. The said grip also serves as a packing for the joint formedbetween the inner end of the shield and the tube for preventing leakageof matter from between the shield and the tube While the structure isbeing employed for its purposes. By this construction I am enabled toemploy a fiexible coil-spring member of considerable length and bymoving the shield 5 along the tube 2 to the desired extent any desiredproportion of the flexible or coil-spring member may be introducedvk orinserted in an artery or vein, the said shield automatically stiffeningthe catheter during its insertion, due to the fact that only as much ofthe flexible or coil-spring member is permitted to project from theouter end thereof as is intended to be first pushed into the artery orvein. The shield also serves as a means for holding the catheter withone hand While manipulating the tube 2 with the other both on theinsertion and Withdrawal of the catheter, Whereas in the absence of theshield it Would be necessary to take hold of the said iiexible orcoil-spring member, and thus Would the hand grasping the same becomesoiled or covered with blood or other matter from the body beingembalmed.

In Fig. 1 the flexible or coil-spring member is projected from theshield 5 for practically the full length thereof, Whereas in Fig. 2 theshield 5 is shown as having been moved along the tube 2 for a suitabledistance, it being apparent that said shield may be moved to cause moreor less of the flexible or coilspring member to project beyond the outerend thereof as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent*- l. A catheter ofthe character specified, comprising a tube and a flexible member, and anouter slidable shield thereon.

2. A catheter of the character specified, comprising a tube and acoil-spring member, and an outer slidable shield thereon.

3. A catheter of the character specied, comprising a tube and a flexiblemember, an outer slidable shield thereon, and an elastic sleeve engagingthe inner end of the shield and the tube, whereby to prevent leakagetherebetween.

4. A catheter of the character specified, comprising a tube and acoil-spring' member, an outer shield slidable thereon, and a sleeveengaging the end of the shield and the tube for preventing leakage ofmatter from between the inner end of the shield and the tube.

5. A catheter of the character specied, comprising a tube and a fiexiblemember, and an outer slidable shield provided with a sleeve at the innerend thereof for engaging the tube.

6. A catheter of the character specified, comprising a tube and aflexible member, an outer shield slidable thereon, and a sleeve of anelastic member surrounding the joint between the tube and the inner endof the shield, a portion of which lits upon the tube and the remainingportion of which fits upon the inner end portion of the shield.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY MABBITT CRIPPEN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. Pirrs, JEssrE B. BROWN.

